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Thursday, January 19, 2012
Democratic National Convention 2012 Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: Democrats try to recapture mile-high magic
Posted By Mary C. Curtis on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 9:00 AM
On Wednesday, 500 members of the media from outlets across the country and as far away as Qatar and Japan got a logistical briefing and walkthrough of convention sites. During the convention, about 15,000 members will descend on the city.
By choosing Charlotte as the site of this year’s September convention, Democrats had already signaled that the party “is not going to cede any ground” in North Carolina, Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said on Tuesday. In the last election, Obama won North Carolina by just 14,000 votes. With the party in the state and “on offense,” Wasserman Schultz said, it hopes to “keep North Carolina blue just like it helped to turn Colorado blue in 2008.”
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
News SOPA protesters participate in partial Internet blackout today
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 5:56 PM
Wonder why you haven't been able to access info on some of your favorite websites today? You probably already know, because those sites are telling you about their protest of SOPA — the Stop Online Piracy Act, also known as H.R. 3261. That's the bill before the U.S. Senate that critics including Wikipedia say "could fatally damage the free and open Internet." Many of the protesting sites are also urging users to contact their senators.
Wikipedia and other online sites aren't the only ones opposing H.R. 3261. The American Society of Newspaper Editors had this to say of the bill: "It is our longstanding dedication to First Amendment rights that drives our opposition to SOPA. Navigating the balance between copyright and free speech demands precision, and in seeking to protect the interests of copyright holders, the First Amendment requires Congress to adopt the least restrictive intrusion on speech available."
News UPDATED: Occupy Charlotte and Community Relations Committee share concerns about DNC ordinances
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 12:23 PM
- Rhiannon Fionn
- Occupier Michael Zytkow presenting to the Community Relations Committee
Can't we all just get along? Sure, but it takes effort. On Tuesday, Jan. 17, city representatives, members of Occupy Charlotte and several concerned citizens came together at a city-sponsored Community Relations Committee meeting where they sought to resolve their differences over proposed ordinances that will end camping, create a "free speech zone" during the Democratic National Convention, limit what people can carry and give the police the power to take action against citizens based on what officers decide is a person's intent.
During the meeting, city attorney Bob Hagemann said the ordinances are currently being modified. (View the re-re-drafted ordinances here.) Civil rights attorney George Daly also spoke up, saying the city doesn't need the ordinances and that it is acting out of fear and attempting to taint the image of protesters.
The city council is expected to vote on the ordinances Mon., Jan. 23.
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Wednesday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Jan. 18, 2012 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Cash Crop exhibit at Harvey B. Gantt Center
• Off the Record with Dylan Gilbert at The Evening Muse
• The Amen Corner at Duke Energy Theatre
• Shaun Jones at The Comedy Zone Charlotte
• Paint Fumes at Milestone
Arts Lewis Black tour stops in Charlotte
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Comedian, actor and author Lewis Black is a lean mean America bashing machine. Viewing the republicans as a party with "bad ideas" and democrats as a party with "no ideas," he's prepared to rant about all sides of the political spectrum.
On his current stand-up tour, In God We Rust he'll be stopping by Charlotte for a performance at Ovens Auditorium on April 14. Tickets (starting at $39.50) go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. For more info, visit the website for Ovens Auditorium here.
Film / Film News Watch Memphis at home
Posted By Matt Brunson on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 7:00 AM
- Photo credit: Joan Marcus
If you missed the award-winning musical smash Memphis when it recently came to Charlotte, don't sweat it. You now have the opportunity to catch the Broadway production in the comfort of your own home.
On the heels of the Ovens Auditorium touring show that ran Jan. 3-8, there's now Shout! Factory's release of the original Broadway production that won four Tony Awards: Best Musical, Book of a Musical, Score and Orchestrations. Filmed live at the Shubert Theatre, this tale of the forbidden love between a white DJ and a black singer in the 1950s is now available for home audiences on both Blu-ray and DVD.
The Blu-ray and DVD both include the featurette Behind the Scenes: How Memphis Was Captured. The Blu-ray costs $24.98 and the DVD runs $17.98; release date is Jan. 24. To order, go to the Shout! Factory site here or Amazon here.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Film / Film News Light Factory fills in the Blank
Posted By Matt Brunson on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 5:41 PM
Blank City, a documentary about New York's DIY filmmaking scene during the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, will be screened later this week at The Light Factory. Featuring interviews with many individuals who were there — including Blondie's Debbie Harry, Steve Buscemi and Jim Jarmusch — the film looks at the "No Wave" movement when filmmakers, musicians and artists were often teaming up to create experimental, cutting-edge works.
Blank City will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, through Saturday, Jan. 21, at The Light Factory, 345 N. College St. Admission is $7 ($5 members). Go here for more information.
Boomer with Attitude Bernice King's turnaround could help N.C. marriage-discrimination amendment foes
Posted By John Grooms on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 4:39 PM
Opponents of North Carolina’s marriage discrimination amendment got a big boost of support from an unexpected source yesterday. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., voiced support for the rights of lesbians, gays, bi’s, and transgendered people while speaking at Atlanta’s annual MLK Day rally. As explained by Pam Spaulding of the Pam’s House Blend website (a vital N.C.-based LGBT site, just fyi), the speech was a turnaround for King, who previously had opposed LGBT rights, and even took part in a march against same-sex marriage.
News Seed20 spotlights groups and people promoting positive social change
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Venture philanthropy. Ever heard of it? Well, it's about to take off in Charlotte thanks to
Social Venture Partners Charlotte, which describes itself as "a diverse network of engaged individuals who are addressing community needs through a new model of giving."
Eighty-two people and organizations applied to be part of SVP Charlotte's first "Seed20 class." That means, according to the organization, they "have compelling ideas for creating positive social change that can have real impact in the Charlotte region."
The 20 groups selected as semi-finalists cover a wide range, from organizations that help people learn how to grow their own food to aid for the homeless to education-based and parental skills development non-profits.
News Is there a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Cover-Up?
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 12:41 PM
- Michael D. Dunn
- A stylized photo of the beach at Camp Lejune in North Carolina
In late November, we wondered if the bad news regarding water contamination at Camp Lejeune would ever end after federal government scientists released a report tying increased instances of male breast cancer to living at the camp.
Now The Huffington Post is reporting a potential cover-up:
The U.S. Navy is asking government investigators to suppress information concerning the toxic water scandal at the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune, according to a letter obtained Thursday by The Huffington Post.The letter, signed by Maj. Gen. J.A. Kessler of the Marine Corps and dated Jan. 5, 2012, asks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry to withhold from a forthcoming report details about the whereabouts of water lines, wells, treatment plants and storage tanks on the North Carolina military base — in the name of national security.
"The Marine Corps understands the need to share information with the scientific community," writes Kessler, the Marines' assistant deputy commandant for installations and logistics. "Prudence requires, however, that information sharing be within the rubric of responsible force protection."
Government watchdogs and environmental advocates said they interpret the letter as further evidence of a Navy effort to evade culpability for what many call the worst and largest drinking water contamination in U.S. history.
Read the entire article, by Lynne Peeples, here.
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Question the Queen City: The haunting of Love’s Pass
The railroad pass has claimed at least 14 lives
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The Secret Service: Behind Mark Millar's next comic film
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